This week has been the busy last week of rehearsals before our community theater production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Once again, I have reprised my role of wearing black and moving things (mostly cubes) on and off the stage. I love watching a show come together, from first reading the written script to fleshing out the words and actions as the characters come to life before my eyes. I love being caught between two worlds–the magic on stage that the audience sees and the secret drama behind the curtains that they don’t. Even better, the behind-the-scenes drama for this production has all been of the good sort–jokes and encouragement as we are still laughing together at the play. We keep wondering when we will stop laughing at the jokes on stage. Probably not until after the last curtain call.
I have also enjoyed reading several cheritas during past Poetry Friday posts. This form of poetry is new to me, and I wanted to try it out to tell the story of working backstage. For me, waiting just offstage is the best seat in the house. A cherita is an untitled poem that tells a story in three stanzas of one line, two lines, and three lines.
Garbed in black,
I wait in the shadows
to make my move between scenes.
I peek between the backside of flats
scrawled with signatures the audience will never see
to glimpse characters come to life on stage.
Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Mary Lee Hahn has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at A Year of Reading. Stop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week.
Kay, thanks for sharing the backstage world of stage hands: I wait in the shadows/to make my move between scenes. REading your post was fun after watching the Tony Awards. I like the form cherita for telling a story. Thanks for sharing.
Kay, it is nice reading your post after the Tony Awards. Being a backstage hand is exciting because you get to view all the action of the moments behind and in front of stage. Last show we saw, there was a crash behind stage and we all wanted to know what happened. The play went on without a hitch. Your cherital allows me to understand what waiting in the shadows is all about. Thanks.
I imagine it was a success all around! Applause, applause. Thanks for the backstage peek, and for introducing so many of us to this form – how very fun!
Happy Summer… :0)
Thank you! The show was a success. I will try this form again. t was fun and a challenge to write.
Thanks for this glimpse from the back of the theatre Kay, loved your poem and the form. You carried me through from line one to three, as in a scene. I’d like to try my hand at a cheritas, it’s new to me too! Hope the show is as big a success as the story from behind the scenes is!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the story, and yes, the show was a success!
I never heard of a cherita before. Thanks so much for introducing me to this form.
Yours is terrific. Love picturing you “garbed in black” and waiting in the shadows.
It’s a new form to me, too. I’ve enjoyed reading those shared by other Poetry Friday poets and wanted to try it out.
I love the cherita form for the dramatic role. It builds, just as a play does. I like the detail of the signatures on the flats.
Thank you! I love reading the signatures. Being in a small town, I know many of them, too.
I’d never heard of a cherita before! I’ll have to give it a try!
I enjoyed trying it out. Like most poetry, it’s harder than it looks!
My students often argued about who had the best role in a production, on stage or backstage. They would have loved your cherita, Kay. And those signatures included – a wonderful secret! Break a leg!
Thank you! The first performance went well. Since I haven’t ever been on stage, can’t settle your students’ argument, but I do like my role behind the scenes!
I haven’t seen “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” before, but you make me want to! You certainly pique readers’ interest with “Garbed in black,/I wait in the shadows”! (I really appreciate those who work behind the scenes.)
I’m glad to be working with a cast that appreciates behind the scenes, too! It’s a great production. I hope you have a chance to see it sometime.
Love your cherita — and enjoyed hearing about the upcoming play. I agree that it’s exciting to be behind the scenes and seeing the play take shape from first reading to first performance. My husband played Linus in a college production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. 🙂
Thank you! It’s such a great play, isn’t it? I’m still giggling at the jokes onstage!
I was a stagehand in high school. You totally captured the experience in your short poem!
Thanks! That’s what I was going for–I love that feeling of being between two worlds on and off stage.